Cafe Rio Salad! & Cilantro Lime Rice

A long, long time ago,... I used to eat pork. Then I started to not like pork.

So one time I lived in Provo. I had this blonde Californ-I-A bombshell of a roomate. She had an obsession. She'd plead and beg for me to accompany her...

So then I met Cafe Rio. My life forever changed. So much flavor. Such perfectly combined tastes. Who could ask for more?

Of course, I was devastated when I learned they were pulling an In-N-Out and were sticking to Utah. They

should share the love, such as with Washington.

One time for Christmas the aforementioned roomie got the best present ever. Her brother brought her a Cafe Rio salad. Drove it straight from Utah to San Diego. Such love.

My order of choice - pork salad with the creamy tomatillo dressing. If not, then a pork burrito, enchilada style.

I left my heart in Cafe Rio.

Thanks to Heather's candid photography I now know what I look like eating Cafe Rio (last Dec. in UT). Notice the deep concentration one must exhibit while enjoying some Cafe Rio.

Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

1 Packet of Ranch (I like the MSG free kind made with light mayo-not to be confused with Fat Free mayo)
1-2 Tomatillos (fresh-boil/microwave till soft and put in blender or canned)
Some cilantro finely chopped
1/4-1/2 of a jalapeNo (the gringo warning: do not chop with your bare hands, unless you want your hands and everything they touch to be on fire for hours and hours. Don't ask me how I know that.)
Some fresh garlic finely chopped or put in blender
Mix all the ingredients together (can put in blender and blend it all together), chill, etc.

If you want to make the salad a la Cafe Rio, do as follows: Buy some of those tortillas you cook (Costco, Fred Meyer). Make some. While they are almost done cooking, add a bit of grated cheese so it melts onto the said tortilla. Put the tortilla on a plate. Add some black beans (warm, canned or some you've made yourself or canned that you've spruced up with some seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, onion, etc.), add some rice (white rice or make white rice and when cooking, first add a bit of oil to the pan, add some onion, after cooking for a while, add the rice and chopped garlic to the oil, let it brown up, then add the water (1.5 cups per 1 cup of long or medium grain rice) stir, bring to boil, add tons of chopped cilantro, salt, and squeezed lime now or at the end, cover and cook on low until it's soft. DON'T STIR IT until the end.), add lettuce, tomato, avocado, some chips, cilantro, and the dressing. Voila. If you want meat, make slow cooker pork, beef, or just add chicken. I have made some Cafe-Rio like pork, but it's not exactly the same. The trick is the crockpot and it's gotta be sweet and flavorful. Heather thinks sweet pork is not delicious. Don't worry, I will help her to understand the many endearing qualities of the sweet pork.
I went to San Diego (heart, heart) this summer and got to visit with my Cafe Rio partner-in-crime. Of course, we made salads. Notice the look of bliss as the salads are nearing completion. Do notice she did not lose concentration by keeping her eyes closed.